Severe Storms and Flash Floods Affect Many Parts of Eastern New York and Western New England

Summary

Several days of severe weather culminated on Monday, May 24th, with a significant outbreak of severe weather and flash flooding. On Saturday (May 22nd) a front edged into southern New York and remained nearly stationary over the next 2 days. It separated cool air to the north from a warm sticky airmass to the south. A series of MCS's (mesoscale convective systems) developed over the Great Lakes and moved east-southeast along this front. One system produced thunderstorms (several severe) Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Much of the day Sunday remained dry. However, during the late afternoon several severe storms developed in southeast New York and Northwest Connecticut. As those storms died during the evening another round of severe storms moved into the Mohawk Valley. In addition to the severe weather, there was flash flooding in parts of the western Mohawk Valley and Adirondacks. Monday (the 24th) brought three waves of severe thunderstorms, each more intense and widespread. The first produced isolated severe weather around sunrise. During the late morning, round number two occurred as an organized line of thunderstorms raced across eastern New York and western New England. After these passed, the skies cleared. That allowed the air to heat and destabilize. Between 3 pm and 4 pm, the next batch of severe weather erupted. Some supercell cells were observed with several radar indications of possible tornadoes. Tornadoes were confirmed in Delaware and Broome Counties, NY. The storms were prolific hail produces with numerous reports of hail greater than an inch in diameter

The worst hit area was southern Washington County. Hail caused significant damage, there was some wind damage and heavy rain washed out roads. Buskirk, in Rensselaer County just over the county line from Washington County reported 4.17 inches of rain.

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued 109 Severe weather warnings this month. To date this includes 7 tornado warnings...84 Severe thunderstorm warnings and 18 Flash Flood warnings. The 109 warnings issued this month is a record with a week remaining (records since 1986). Between Saturday May 22 and Monday May 24 the National Weather Service issued 80 warnings including 7 tornado warnings, 64 severe thunderstorm warnings and 9 Flash Flood Warnings.